Chapter 116
Chapter 116
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: The Managers Reveal Their True Colors
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It wasn't particularly difficult for the energy being known as the manager to enter the body of the chaos jiangshi.
Moreover, since the chaos jiangshi contained nothing but chaos mana within its body, there was no clash of energies.
But that didn't mean it was over just because the manager had entered the chaos jiangshi.
The key was whether the manager could move the chaos jiangshi according to its own will.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Amid everyone's silent watch, the chaos jiangshi took three steps forward.
It then brought both hands in front of its face, repeatedly clenching and unclenching its fists before starting to move its arms and legs in various ways.
"This works. It's not hard at all. I can move it however I want!"
The Four O'Clock manager shouted in a voice full of ecstasy.
"Ooh, it adapted that quickly? That means assimilation is incredibly easy."
"Hey, me too, give me a block here. Hand over a body for me to use!"
As the managers expressed their surprise, the Ten O'Clock manager summoned a black block and pushed it toward Geon-woo while demanding a jiangshi.
Geon-woo caught the block from the Ten O'Clock manager, suspending it in midair, compared it to the ones he'd received before, and readily summoned another chaos jiangshi.
This chaos jiangshi, too, had been created from a bio-armor implant recipient infused with chaos mana.
The jiangshi Geon-woo was pulling out now were ones he'd made long ago on Earth as spares, then stored away in his tattoo space.
Back then, he'd created them as replacements for his existing jiangshi.
But as time passed and he acquired multi jiangshi in this dimension, they became unnecessary.
Still, with space to spare in his tattoo space, there was no need to dispose of the jiangshi he'd already made, so he'd kept them until now.
Then, when Muhammad and the others gained chaos mana, bodies combining jiangshi techniques, bio-armor factors, and human elements regained their value.
That's why he'd had the bio-armor implant chaos jiangshi absorb chaos mana, leading to this moment.
"Hmm. There's a slight problem with this."
However, since they were based on jiangshi made in the lower dimension of Earth, the issue revealed itself immediately.
"The durability seems really low. It can hold chaos mana, sure, but using the chaos mana I have stored up would be tough like this."
It seemed the Four O'Clock manager, having adapted somewhat to the jiangshi, had tried operating its chaos mana.
The right hand of the jiangshi housing the Four O'Clock manager was crumbling into powder and scattering.
The chaos jiangshi's body couldn't withstand the power of the chaos mana the Four O'Clock manager had wielded.
"It can only handle energy slightly better than a normal person's at best."
The Four O'Clock manager grumbled as it regenerated the vanished right hand.
Geon-woo was startled to see the Four O'Clock manager restore the jiangshi's hand.
It was something most bio-armor implant recipients could do, but he hadn't expected the Four O'Clock manager to pull it off so quickly.
"Heh heh, it's just the start, and you're already being too hasty. There must be a way."
The Ten O'Clock manager, having just acquired its own body, chided the Four O'Clock manager.
"Right. This can't be the end of it. Of course not."
The Four O'Clock manager chimed in agreement.
Its gaze pierced toward Geon-woo like daggers, as if demanding he come up with a solution right now.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing? Even if humans always want to lie down when they can sit, you need some shame. You should be grateful for this much!"
But at that moment, the Twelve O'Clock manager bellowed, rebuking the two managers.
The other managers, who hadn't yet obtained bodies, joined in unison, criticizing the pair in agreement with the Twelve O'Clock manager.
"Exactly! That's not how people act."
"It's only a bit better than a resident's level, but using chaos mana with it would make it baron or viscount class at least?"
"That's plenty to live outside the Mara Vein. What more greed?"
"Come on, ignore those guys. Here's my module, so give me a vessel too."
"Me too! I have one right here."
"You can't leave me out. Mine's here too!"
"No, take mine first! Here."
As the managers who'd been scolding the Four O'Clock and Ten O'Clock managers for their greed fell silent, the Twelve O'Clock manager was the first to demand an exchange of module for jiangshi. The others immediately followed suit, pulling out their modules and sending them flying toward Geon-woo.
Geon-woo caught the four incoming modules, compared them to the others, and summoned four chaos jiangshi.
The remaining four managers hurriedly selected jiangshi and attempted possession.
There were even cases where two managers rushed for the same jiangshi, but one quickly gave up and went for a remaining one.
"This is good."
"It really cuts off chaos mana from the outside."
"If I focus, even the external chaos mana in the Mara Vein doesn't seep into the body. Amazing."
"Uhahaha! Great. This is perfect. Am I finally getting this freedom? Hahaha!"
The managers who had taken over the chaos jiangshi bodies didn't hide their joy.
They moved their bodies around, adapting, and soon progressed to manifesting power using chaos mana.
But.
"Too bad about the output, though. Still!"
"Right? I told you. It's a bit lacking."
"But there must be a way. That guy definitely has a solution."
"Yeah."
"Hahaha! So now we just squeeze him for it?"
"That's what we planned anyway. That's why we pretended not to be and snagged these vessels one by one."
"That fool never suspected a thing and handed over his own cards to us. Uhahaha. Thrilled over a few modules."
Soon after, the managers possessing the chaos jiangshi surrounded Geon-woo from six directions and displayed an unexpected attitude.
Listening to their words, Geon-woo realized he'd been tricked.
"These were fakes?"
Geon-woo stacked the six blocks like a tower in front of his chest and asked.
"As if. They're not fakes. The point is, you can't do anything with just those."
"Right. Spare parts aren't just one per set to begin with. The system left parts that can make multiple devices."
"From what we've figured, combining them all lets you make parts for ten devices? Some modules have even more."
"Ten? Then couldn't you each have made one?"
Geon-woo wondered why they hadn't left the Mara Vein if they had a device to produce chaos mana.
If it could generate chaos mana continuously, there'd be no reason to stay trapped in the Mara Vein.
"When the Great Mara Vein formed and the system needed to manage chaos mana, it initially assigned three managers."
In response to Geon-woo's question, the Six O'Clock manager answered.
"And those three were given spare parts to repair the device. But none of them could make even one device with what they had. They were missing parts."
"All three were missing parts, but the missing ones were different for each."
"If they'd just combined what they had, they could've made ten devices, but none wanted to share first."
"Because they didn't trust each other."
"Then another manager was added, making four, and the system redistributed the parts. Still, none could complete a device."
"And it's the same now with six managers. No one has all the parts to complete a device."
From the story, it seemed a lot of modules were needed to make the device.
Yet they'd lied about it being six and stolen Geon-woo's chaos jiangshi.
"So what? You tricked me and now you're telling me this to do what?"
Geon-woo turned, glaring at each of the six managers in turn.
"So what? You tried to trick us and get the upper hand too, didn't you?"
"You've got more than these weak vessels. We can tell just by looking."
"Those are incomparably tougher than what we got. If we could use one of those, we could wield duke-level chaos mana or higher."
"So stop scheming and hand over those vessels. Otherwise, you'll never leave this place."
"Who do you think you are, threatening us here?"
"Fool. You didn't realize you can enter but can't leave without our permission."
The six managers were now brazenly triumphant, no longer hiding anything.
"Can't leave?"
Geon-woo muttered, glancing up at the hole he'd descended through.
"Unless you can handle all the chaos mana pooled at your feet. Otherwise, no leaving without our say-so."
"Not that you could attack us either."
"Hard to believe? Give it a try. See what you can do."
The managers chattered mockingly, drunk on their excitement.
Geon-woo quietly coated his telekinetic power with chaos mana and extended it.
Mixing chaos mana with mental power was the most potent ability he could use.
But.
Kwaaang! Kwaaang!
"Puhahaha! That's all?"
"Not bad, but laughable compared to the chaos mana piled up underground in the Great Mara Vein."
"Give up. We told you—whatever you try, without our permission, you can't do a thing."
Geon-woo's attempt ended in a brief twitch.
Before his telekinesis could fully manifest, it was crushed by a gesture from the Twelve O'Clock manager.
With a single hand motion, the Twelve O'Clock manager had drawn out the underground chaos mana and smashed Geon-woo's telekinesis flat.
'This might be tricky.'
His telekinesis had been snuffed out by just one manager's gesture.
He had a few stronger techniques left, but could they even take down two managers?
No matter how he calculated, facing three or more at once was impossible.
Even if he unleashed all his chaos mana at once, it would be the same.
"So, what now?"
Geon-woo had to admit he was cornered.
The odd thing was that the managers weren't attacking him directly.
"Time will make you the seventh manager anyway. Or a lesser Great Mara Vein resident at best."
"Time..."
Geon-woo frowned at the Twelve O'Clock manager's words.
As it said, the longer time passed, the more cornered he'd become.
He couldn't replenish normal energy here.
He wanted to say mental power didn't rely on external sources, but it still required a living body to sustain.
If time dragged on and he became addicted to chaos mana, the best outcome would be turning into a chaos mana energy being.
Otherwise, he'd dissipate.
And once he became a chaos mana energy being, he'd end up as either a manager or a regular resident.
The managers weren't wrong about anything.
"Completely boxed in, huh?"
Geon-woo smirked and looked at the Twelve O'Clock manager.
"So give up now and hand over the best vessels. Then we'll let you go."
"Let me go? Without the chaos mana generator device?"
"That wouldn't do. The system might intervene."
"System intervention?"
"Didn't you hear? Every time the number of managers increases, parts get redistributed. And always in a way no one can complete a device alone."
"So if an individual completes a device, the system might step in?"
"Exactly. Then we might lose these vessels too."
"But it can't interfere with vessels?"
"It can't touch vessels, but it could mess with us. So we can't give up the chaos mana generator."
"Haha. I see. Is that how it is? You sure you won't regret it? Might be better to keep your promise."
Having confirmed the managers' stance, Geon-woo asked one last time, as if giving them another chance.
As if he held the cards to flip the table.